Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has stated at the meeting with participants of the youth forum on the banks of Seliger Lake, that Russia is going to reinforce and boost its military and nuclear arsenal, RBK informs.

“We are strengthening our nuclear deterrence forces, we are strengthening our armed forces. They are really becoming more compact, more effective. They are really becoming more advanced from the point of view of being equipped by modern armaments systems. We continue to beef up this potential, and we are going to do that,” the president informed.

As said by him, it is done not to threaten to anyone, but in order to feel safe and be able to realize the plans in the sphere of development of the economy and social sphere.

“We should be ready to repel any aggression against Russia any moment. Our partners, no matter what the condition of their states is and what foreign political concept they adhere to, should always understand that it’s best not to mess with us, as far as a possible is concerned,” Putin warned.

“Russia is one of the leading nuclear powers. These are not words, it is reality,” the president stressed.

In 2011 New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) came into force, and it limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads of Russia and the US to 1,550. The number of inter-continental ballistic missiles was to be limited to 700.

The statement by Putin has been made amid the ongoing crisis in the relations of Russia and the NATO. Among other things, it was sparked by annexation of Crimea, which is not recognized by the West and is considered violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Vladimir Putin believes that the issue of recognition of the current status of Crimea would happen “slowly and tiresomely”. The leader of the state once again reminded Kosovo’s precedent. “When there is a political will and desire, the decisions which happened in Kosovo, are passed easily indeed,” he said.